From the Guardian, the Canadian national team is complaining about having less benefits than the US national team in MLS even though three top markets are in MLS.
Toronto FC "is an American team in a Canadian city."
- Thread starter Syed Ashrafulla
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Interesting read. Montagliani has a point, but his threat is completely empty. No way that he forces the three Canadian teams out and costs them north of $100 million each. There have been major investments in those franchises. He would lose his job in a heartbeat.
I generally agree that Canadian players should be treated the same as U.S. players - at least in a perfect world. But immigration and anti-discrimination laws are real things. I also don't agree that the dearth of Canadian soccer quality is due to MLS rules. Canada is behind where the U.S. is in soccer - although it is also growing the sport. Note that Canadian teams don't have much more of an interest in Canadian players than the U.S. teams do.
I think MLS should work harder to solve the legal issues and level the playing field, but the notion that Canadian teams will opt out is just silly.
I generally agree that Canadian players should be treated the same as U.S. players - at least in a perfect world. But immigration and anti-discrimination laws are real things. I also don't agree that the dearth of Canadian soccer quality is due to MLS rules. Canada is behind where the U.S. is in soccer - although it is also growing the sport. Note that Canadian teams don't have much more of an interest in Canadian players than the U.S. teams do.
I think MLS should work harder to solve the legal issues and level the playing field, but the notion that Canadian teams will opt out is just silly.
i get the frustration, but i dont think there is a way out they bought into the league...i know Canada wants to start their own league but they sure as hell wont be able to get the MLS teams ( maybe the NASL teams) since they lose money and there may not be interest at all since there are limited amount of markets there. At best maybe they can get some sort of agreement of rather than say "domestic" they can say "North American" player that includes US and Canadian players in the terminology.
so just random question. With rules today can a Canadian team field 11 canadian homegrown players? or they cant since they count as "internationals" ?
also how does NHL work with all the canadian players in the league? I think i read that almost half of the players playing in it are Canadian. I guess there is no limit there.
so just random question. With rules today can a Canadian team field 11 canadian homegrown players? or they cant since they count as "internationals" ?
also how does NHL work with all the canadian players in the league? I think i read that almost half of the players playing in it are Canadian. I guess there is no limit there.
I believe a Canadian player on a Canadian team is a domestic along with American players on Canadian teams. So they could have 11 HG players and be fine.
What they're angry about is that 11 Canadian players on an American team would all count as foreign unless they had green cards.... So it's not quid pro quo. It's a very valid point and should be changed league wise, especially since I believe Hockey allows it and that's a verifiable precedent that a court likely would side with.
Does NHL have any type of roster requirements? In MLS, I'd imagine a team in New York can't possibly have rules favoring Canadian citizens over Egyptian citizens and be within legal compliance? Of course I am not a lawyer so I won't claim to act like I know anything about this, it just seems like it would be difficult.
I would imagine the only way Canadian players on US based sides could be on equal footing with American players would be to lift ALL foreign player restrictions, which I am sure MLS and especially USSF would be strongly opposed to.
you can do that but dont expect americans to use that international spot, if they they feel comfortable they may actually start bringing in their academy players up and use international spots for other non american players for the international spots. I mean all three have their USL teams so this may be a goal for them.
on the flip side then the player union will be pissed ( or USSF) that there are less places for Americans to work so i dont think it will happen.
I hope they find a solution but there are very strict employment laws in the U.S. that prevent employment discrimination by nation of origin. Rules concerning foreign workers have to apply to all nationalities. Allowing Canadians to be counted as domestic players in the US would give them a privileged status. Its not going to be as simple as creating a new league rule unless they get super creative.
- Jul 14, 2014
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Maybe just maybe...they can have a Canadian team only. Mhh like for example Canuck FC or Chinook Winds FC, where they field Canadians or anyone that qualifies to play for Canadian National team. Similar to like Athletic Bilbao in Spain or CD Guadalajara (Chivas in Mexico)....now Canada would be special not like Chivas USA because Canada doesnt have a competitive league. This is turn would help the Canadian national team....plus cant we ratify the Articles of Confederation, isnt there something there that if Canada wishes it can become part of the good ol USA
Not the expert here but I doubt this has anything to do with legal employment laws however. The MLS created international spots and an arbitrary numbers of spots solely as way of managing the league how they saw most beneficial to the development of the league, not because of U.S. employment law. I don't believe NHL, NBA and MLB have these regulations and obviously have Canadian franchises.
The cause and effect is the other way around. The MLS created the international roster spots because they think it helps the league, not because they are obligated to by any law. As a result of the MLS is now subject to US anti discrimination laws in a way that none of the other pro-leagues that do not have international restrictions are. As long as MLS has international spots they will be required to treat all nationalities the same by US law.
The laws are only relevant in such that if MLS want's to regulate the number of foreign players on a roster, which I am sure USSF would not budge from, they must do it across the board. They can't make the Canadian fed happy by counting Canadians differently than other foreigners.
Since NHL, NBA, and MLB don't have major competition around the world for top players and don't have any rules concerning the number of Americans and foreigners on it team this situation does not apply.
another factor to worry about with Americans playing / working in Canada could be TAXES.
Canada takes out more in taxes from your paycheck and wouldn't you be taxed by the US as an American living abroad? Can someone clarify this?
Canada takes out more in taxes from your paycheck and wouldn't you be taxed by the US as an American living abroad? Can someone clarify this?
If I'm not mistaken, as an American abroad you deduct your foreign taxes against your American taxes so you only pay the difference. If the foreign rate is higher you dont pay us taxes.
Canada and the US have a tax treaty, and the cumulative rates of taxation at high levels of income are very similar. You can see a bit more difference with zero state tax states like Florida and Texas, but it's still negligible.
http://probballreport.com/the-myth-american-athletes-pay-more-tax-in-toronto-blown-away/
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